The elements of a powertrain of a vehicle experience various forces and moments, which may cause noise and vibration, due to the torque generated and transferred throughout the powertrain. It may be desirable to decrease noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) so that the driver has a better driving experience and the various joints throughout the powertrain experience less fatigue. Moreover, for vehicle applications in which a front axle is mounted more rearward in the vehicle (e.g., adjacent the transmission case), it may be desirable to mount the front axle (with its housing) to a powertrain element(s) that is strong enough to support the front axle.